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Walston Family History

Walston Name Meaning

English: habitational name perhaps from Walsden (Yorkshire formerly in Lancashire). The placename may derive from an Old English personal name Walsa Wæls or Walh (genitive Wales) + Old English denu ‘valley’. Scottish: habitational name from Walston Lanarkshire. The placename is from Scots wall ‘well’ with a connecting or perhaps plural -s- + toun ‘farm village’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Alston, Whiston, Walton, Dalton, Caston, Swanston, Watton, Gelston

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Walston family from?

You can see how Walston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Walston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Walston families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 11 Walston families living in Ontario. This was about 55% of all the recorded Walston's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Walston families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Walston surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Walston ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Walston. 27% of Walston men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Walston women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Walston were Carpenter and Maid. .

View Census Data for Walston | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Laborer
    18%
  • Farm Laborer
    6%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    11%
  • Housewife
    10%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Maid
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Walston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 18,000 census records available for the last name Walston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Walston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Walston

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Walston. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Walston immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Walston. For the veterans among your Walston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Walston lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Walston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Walston in 1943 was 36, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Walston

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